Market Street auto shop catches fire

WILMINGTON -- A fire at a business off Market Street closed both sides of the road in New Hanover County for more than an hour this morning. The fire started at the Auto Works Body Shop in the 6000 block of Market Street around 8:45. Investigators say the fire started after one of the gas tanks on a car exploded. Nearby business owners say they saw flames more than 20 feet high. One of the employees received medical treatment after he ran into the burning building to try and salvage two cars. Auto Works employee Brandon Poirier said, "I did everything I could to save the business, it's a good place to work at, I enjoy working here and I didn't want to see it go like this." Employees say the owner of Auto Works is on vacation and they say it is the first vacation he has taken in 10 years. The two cars inside the building were destroyed. Fire investigators have not released the official cause of the fire.